Punjab, Oct. 7 -- Three things happened in Indian defence today. A Rs 661.50 crore BrahMos contract. The launch of Surya, the first indigenously built fleet support ship. And a new Chief of Air Staff named.
The BrahMos contract
The Defence Ministry signed with BrahMos Aerospace for fire control systems and launchers for Indian Navy ships - under the Buy Indian IDDM category, with a minimum of 68% indigenous content.
Note what this is for. Not missiles - the launchers and the fire control system, which is the hardware and software that decides what the missile is aimed at and when it goes.
That is the less glamorous half of a weapons programme and the half that determines whether the missile is usable. A navy with missiles and ageing fir...